Delete – Interview At The Hardstyle 2000 Countdown!

From the 28th of December until the 4th of January, Revulsion FM has done the honourable task of putting on the biggest countdown show consisting of the top 2000 hardstyle tracks of all time! This week isn’t only about the countdown however, there’s a lot to keep your eye on such as interviews, guest mixes and who could forget about the label showcases!

Early on Monday morning, I caught up with fellow Aussie producer Delete who is evidently ‘killin it’ in The Netherlands and the world of hardstyle! After his guestmix that he treated us to, I had the pleasure of sitting down with this easy-going Aussie to chat about his career, his move from Australia and yes, I found out what he ate for breakfast!

1. Thanks for mix and also for taking the time to talk! 2014 has been such a huge year for you, what has been the biggest achievement for you this year?
First of all, thanks for having me guys on the show! Hmm.. That’s a tough question for the first question but ah yeah, it’s been a really good year! I can’t really name one particular thing that’s stuck out because everythings been really great. The gigs have been awesome and there’s been lots of releases. I think the fact that this year has been my first complete year in Holland, I’d just have to say the whole time here has just been a huge highlight.

2. What are your musical plans and goals for 2015?
My goals would be to keep the momentum going! I want to keep bringing out new tracks and get more great bookings at festivals! The festival season is really great here and I’d like to experience that a little more. Yeah! I’d just love to keep it going. I’d also love some more international bookings and to be able to go back to my home country again! I’ve got some other international bookings coming but I can’t really talk about them too much yet!

3. What are your personal resolutions for 2015?
To keep out of trouble and be sensible! 😉 I’m doing well and my resolution is to keep that up!

4. Awesome! So speaking about your move over to Holland, do you feel as though it has been a success and the hard work has paid off?
Yeah definitely! it’s been a rollercoaster and a great experience. I think I’ve accomplished alot here. It has certainly been a bumpy road and has had it’s ups and downs but overall, I’m definitely glad I did it. Things are looking good at the moment and I think that it was a great move!

5. What is the thing that you miss most about Australia?
Well considering that I’m looking out the window and there is snow everywhere, I’d have to say that I miss the weather the most! It’s really cool to be here and having a cold Christmas, I think of how it has been my whole life and it’s such a change!

6. What is the best thing about being an Australian in The Netherlands?
Um… Everyone seems to love the accent! It’s really cool, the girls always say that it sounds ‘sexy’. I can’t hear what they really mean, but it’s awesome. The Dutch seem to like Aussies anyway, were pretty crazy!

7. Speaking of girls, what do you prefer – the Dutch or Aussie girls?
Well, if I say Dutch, you’re probably going to kill me ha-ha! I think that they both have their pros and cons. The Dutch girls are really cool and friendly and they like to party but so do the Aussie girls! I dont know… I’m going to play it safe and say both!

8. Okay! So lets talk about your music a little more. Do you feel as though your sound has developed more since moving?
I would say it has. Being here, being totally surrounded by the music and making it what you do full time influences the change. Even my taste in music has changed since being here and I think that it has definitely grown as I’ve started to experiment more with my sound. I’m still doing my own thing but before I was here, my music was a little more underground. Since I’ve moved, it’s becoming more accessible and its changed in that way, but I’m still wanting to keep my signature sound!

9. How exactly do you describe your sound? Maybe in 3 words?
Three words.. Um… I think it’s different, rough and hard-hitting. I like it to hit you in the guts, face, everywhere! Also energetic and powerful! That’s more than three words but that will do!

10. What types of things inspire you when producing?
A bit of everything! I listen to alot of different music and I get inspiration from everywhere! I can’t put it down to a single artist or anything, I get inspiration from everywhere, for example, from games and movies – I’m a huge fan of movies! A lot of my tracks are inspired by games – the story lines are really cool and I like to put that into my tracks.

11. What other genres of dance music do you like to incorporate into your tracks?
A lot of people say that my style has an industrial type of sound to it and I guess that I can see what they mean, I like that rough sound and i get inspiration from there. I’m also a huge drum and bass fan, I don’t particularly use the sounds and elements from the genre, but I really like to take that rough and bad-ass atmosphere that it has. It’s a very indirect influence.

12. What did you eat for breakfast this morning?
Ha-ha! I haven’t eaten anything for breakfast, it’s too early! I did slam down a few coffees however and I usually do that most mornings until I am ready to function.

13. Tell me, what does a day in the life of Delete look like?
Woah.. Um.. Kind of just struggling with life… No, I’m kidding. I get out of bed, smash a few coffees, it takes me a few hours for my brain to properly switch on. I sit in front of the computer and procrastinate for about six hours and then I start doing stuff! I’m in the studio most of the time and if I’m not making music then I’m usually doing something that’s focused around music such as being in contact with fans, the label and organisations. There’s a lot of stuff behind the scenes and  between this and making music there’s not a lot of free time – when there is, I love to watch movies and fit in a few hours of sleep!

14. What are three essential pieces of equipment that every aspiring producer should own?
First off, you need a computer, if you don’t have a computer, you’re not going to get anywhere! A computer, midi keyboard and an audio interface is pretty much all you need! Of course you need software as well.

15. Out of all of the tracks that you have produced, which is your favourite and why?
Hmm… I should be able to answer this question because I get it asked a lot by fans.. I’d have to say “Dismissed” is my favourite, it goes down really well with the crowds, I will never go a set without playing it! The vocals are from Fallout 2 and I really love that game so yeah!

Thanks for chatting with me Delete!

Stay tuned for more interviews this next week with Thera, Jason Payne and many more!